Sail The Odyssey community program
Conceived with the Blue Planet Odyssey in mind, the Community program’s aim is to carry out local projects at some of the stops along the Blue Planet Odyssey’s route around the world.
Local organisations
We are working with local organisations to find out what is most needed in their community, and how the skills and experience of the sailors taking part can be best used to make a difference.
“Best Sight for Children” Initiative (BSC)
The project was founded by ophthalmologist Dr Kaupke with the backing of the Hamburg Institute of Vision.
Its mission is to use research and development projects to draw attention to the importance of comprehensive vision screenings for young children, since healthy vision is the clearest way to a bright future. Globally up to twenty percent of children born each year suffer from some type of eye condition which can be permanently corrected with glasses or special eye exercises.
Sailors in the Blue Planet Odyssey are being trained to use the simple tools to perform a general eye test, working with an international team of experts to gather data around the world, and with local medical institutions and non-governmental organisations, to develop a sustainable prevention strategy for the early diagnosis and treatment of vision defects in small children.
Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu
- Impressions from Vanuatu, by Jimmy Cornell
- Cyclone Pam Appeal: Oxfam is leading the coordination of the Vanuatu Humanitarian Team, a network of non-government humanitarian agencies working on the response effort to the devastation caused by Cyclone Pam, alongside the Vanuatu Government.
Find out more and donate if you can: Oxfam: Cyclone Pam Response .
For more information: Live Blog: Cyclone Pam In West Pacific (350.org). - A fleet of yachts are sailing to Vanuatu to provide relief to the remotest communities, led by Alan and Debra Profke, Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) hosts in Vanuatu, as well as Sea Mercy.org a charity which takes yachts and health workers as floating health clinics to various Pacific nations each year administering medical and dental care.
- The Blue Planet Odyssey yachts will visit Northern Vanuatu in August. We are working with the Red Cross and our Pacific event manager Luc Callebaut to provide assistance as needed.
Climate Change Front Line – Pacific Ocean
For the nations of the Pacific, climate change is a real and terrible threat. Governments and individuals are working hard to mitigate the threats. Some islanders are facing the imminent destruction of their ancestral homes.
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
For detailed information on the Pacific Island nations go to their members section. - Pacific Climate Change Science Program (PCCSP) (Australian Government)
For country-specific information about the past, current and future climate of each of the partner countries, see their country brochures. - Pacific Climate Change Portal.
- If you want to be inspired check out 350 Pacific a youth led grassroots network working with communities to fight climate change from the Pacific Islands. Growing out of the international 350.org network.
Sailors Making A Difference
Here are a few of our favourite projects.
Seven Seas Cruising Association Clean Wake Program
Oceanswatch
OceansWatch has been running annual Expeditions to Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands since 2008, using volunteer sailors and yachts to make sustainable differences to the remotest communities.
Their expeditions on sailing yachts to developing small island nations aim to assist them with marine and terrestrial ecosystem management, sustainable livelihood projects, environmental education and to build their capacity to handle the changes associated with climate change.
Oceans of Hope
Our Blue Planet Odyssey sailors met up with the crew of Oceans of Hope, in Jamaica. Founded by Mikkel Anthonisen, this project involves sailing around the world with a crew of people living with the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS) alongside a professional crew.
The project aims to raise awareness of and change the perceptions of MS while at the same time enable people with a chronic and disabling condition to empower themselves through sailing and being together on the sea.
www.sailingsclerosis.com
www.facebook.com/oceansofhope
twitter.com/sailsclerosis
Sail for Water
Three inspiring young men will sail around the world on their yacht ‘Williwaw’ and distribute en route PointOne filters, a remarkable piece of low-tech kit that filters out more than 99% of harmful bacteria to create clean drinking water.
www.sailforwater.org/en/
